This thread is supposed to be about the reasons why Tortorella got fired, and Sather's statement.

Instead, it becomes another Sather is the antichrist thread...

Read the original post. It's about what Sather said and what I believe actually happened and what Sather does/doesn't do. This is a thread for debating Sather's actions vs his words and his overall tenure.

[Quoted=nyranger61494;67719481]Read the original post. It's about what Sather said and what I believe actually happened and what Sather does/doesn't do. This is a thread for debating Sather's actions vs his words and his overall tenure.[/QUOTE]

You made it a debate. There is none. He gave his reasons you're insinuating Sather is lying and perpetuating a massive cover up. We've had 2 coaches in 9 yrs... Torts has been here nearly 5 yrs!

He was fired for a reason. Time to accept it and knock off the BS. This fanbase is pathetic. Bunch of neurotic negative nutcases

You made it a debate. There is none. He gave his reasons you're insinuating Sather is lying and perpetuating a massive cover up. We've had 2 coaches in 9 yrs... Torts has been here nearly 5 yrs!

He was fired for a reason. Time to accept it and knock off the BS. This fanbase is pathetic. Bunch of neurotic negative nutcases

A massive cover up? Don't be overly dramatic. He is covering his own buns. Glad to see we can throw 1/3 of a person's employment history away like it's no big deal.

Torts was fired because the players were unhappy with him--his system, his personality, both, whatever. Not because Sather, himself saw anything. I base that off of the fact he got an extension and public support from Sather.

I am actually a very optimistic person and fan. If you look at my post history, I was not and am not someone who wanted the Rangers to lose so that a coach would be fired. I am just unsatisfied with the job Sather has done since he has been here and frustrated with his errors. Sather himself said that a season is a failure unless you win, by his own measure, he has been a whopping failure. Maybe this 70 year old dog will learn some new tricks, but I doubt it.

This may be true except for the fact that Sather, who rarely speaks publicly or to the media, did just that at the end of the regular season/beginning of the postseason and supported Tortorella and essentially said his job was safe. I don't buy that Sather did that unless he truly believed that Torts was coming back and a suitable coach for the Rangers. I don't care about Dolan's savings either. He is trying to make himself look here and that he truly has a firm grasp and direction for this club.

And Sather NEVER acts prematurely/proactively, ever. The proof is in the pudding on that. He didn't hire Vigneault until Dallas was wooing him and applying pressure. Hell, as RB posted earlier today, he didn't compliance buyout Holik till the last possible moment. There are more examples of this kind of behavior throughout his tenure.

Do you really think that Sather or any GM for that matter would publicly state that if his coach didn't go far in the playoffs he would be fired?????

Do you really think that Sather or any GM for that matter would publicly state that if his coach didn't go far in the playoffs he would be fired?????

Some of the stuff posted in this thread really makes me

How often does Sather speak to the media? Huh? Tell me. It's few and far between. He could have said nothing and simply evaluated Torts' status behind closed doors as he has operated so often as Rangers GM.

How often does Sather speak to the media? Huh? Tell me. It's few and far between. He could have said nothing and simply evaluated Torts' status behind closed doors as he has operated so often as Rangers GM.

Sather granted an interview to Brooks after beating the Capitals or when it was convenient and things were positive. Here is the quote:

Quote:

There is, from time to time, external grumbling about the coach when the Rangers struggle. The grumbling does not come from the GM’s office.

“He’s such a competitive guy, but at the same time, he’s a tremendously confident guy and a calming influence on the team,” Sather said. “He gets his back up really quickly, too early sometimes, but he just wants to win so badly.

At the time, I was a fan of Torts being hired. He got rid of the country club atmosphere surrounding the team and gave it personality. This was all led by Captain Vanilla in the 23 sweater from the Renney era, and this is coming from someone that owns a Drury sweater. The year after Drury retired the Rangers had their best season in 15 years. That is because the team identity matched the coaches', and Torts was able to get the most out of that group.

All that aside, Torts' time ran out here. He employed the same strategy as the 2012 Rangers when the personnel didn't fit. Prust, Fedotenko, and Mitchell were all above average to excellent on the PK, at shot blocking and board work. They all left summer 2012. They were replaced with guys whom weren't nearly as good in those aspects of the game. His failure to utilize and get the best out of his personnel is a big reason he lost his job.

On the other hand, Sather is so full of it with those quotes. It was very evident that at least a couple of players grew sick of his act. As has been mentioned, Sather is trying to deflect blame off his players and throw the very coach he hired 5 years ago under the bus. I'll put more weight in his comments when he actually goes out and makes moves to adapt to the more "modern style". Until then, he's a bumbling old man that's trying to save face when deep down, he knows he's underachieved and made more than a few questionable moves here during his tenure.

Dump ins are fine if you have a team that forechecks well. The 2011-12 team forechecked well. They would very often get to the puck first or be on top of the others team defense so fast that they were forcing them to make mistakes. Sather's puck possession argument is a crock. The bigger problem is he got nobody worthwhile to replace Dubinsky, Anisimov, Prust and Fedetenko. He got his shiny piece in Nash and then his other shiny piece (maybe more Torts's fault here) Richards **** the bed.

Rolling 4 lines is an important thing and when your third and fourth lines can hold their own and maintain the team's momentum then your team is going to do well. Last year's third and fourth lines were a disaster almost from the beginning. There's too much age and not enough skating. The forecheck game of 2011-12 pretty much disappeared. Slats can talk about puck possession all he wants--a good team has to be good at that too but there are at least several other variables of equal importance.

At the time, I was a fan of Torts being hired. He got rid of the country club atmosphere surrounding the team and gave it personality. This was all led by Captain Vanilla in the 23 sweater from the Renney era, and this is coming from someone that owns a Drury sweater. The year after Drury retired the Rangers had their best season in 15 years. That is because the team identity matched the coaches', and Torts was able to get the most out of that group.

All that aside, Torts' time ran out here. He employed the same strategy as the 2012 Rangers when the personnel didn't fit. Prust, Fedotenko, and Mitchell were all above average to excellent on the PK, at shot blocking and board work. They all left summer 2012. They were replaced with guys whom weren't nearly as good in those aspects of the game. His failure to utilize and get the best out of his personnel is a big reason he lost his job.

On the other hand, Sather is so full of it with those quotes. It was very evident that at least a couple of players grew sick of his act. As has been mentioned, Sather is trying to deflect blame off his players and throw the very coach he hired 5 years ago under the bus. I'll put more weight in his comments when he actually goes out and makes moves to adapt to the more "modern style". Until then, he's a bumbling old man that's trying to save face when deep down, he knows he's underachieved and made more than a few questionable moves here during his tenure.

“I’m not going to start dumping on Torts,” Sather said. “He was very good for us when he first got here, gave us a lot of discipline and taught the players a lot of good things.

“Whether he could have gotten us over the next hurdle, I don’t know. I couldn’t be sure he would. There were things that happened along the way, things I picked up on that gave me a feel about the team.

“The players didn’t come to me with ultimatums,” the GM told The Post. “It wasn’t that way. I hope people recognize that I have enough integrity that it wouldn’t be a spur of the moment decision.

“But I did think we had gotten to the point where we needed a change. And so that’s what we did.”

LOL...so you think he just started babbling and Brooks asked no questions? Just because the questions weren't printed in the article doesn't mean Brooks didn't ask them

You were referring to the Leonard quotes were you not? In the wake of Slats firing Torts.

The Brooks interview happened in May. There was no need for Sather to speak then. It was meant to be a fluff piece where the Rangers were on a high and it felt like a safe moment for him to pop his head out because his trade at the deadline had worked out and those players were major contributors in the first round win. Based on the manner that he did then, I find it hard to believe that those comments coupled with the extension and Sather's track record here, he had no intention of firing Torts then. I have said my piece on this and made my points as clearly as I can, I am not going to say we agree to disagree at this point.

I think sometimes, generally speaking, it's easy to read too much into the many quotes that float around a team.

I think if the names of players who voiced their displeasure was every public knowledge, it would likely surprise more than a few people.

With that said, every thing I've been lead to believe says it was a multitude of factors and not any one thing that cost Torts his job.

I believe you Edge. You are probably right re: quotes. Many of us are guilty of this and with quotes few and far between for Sather, it makes that practice even easier. I obviously feel he talks when it's convenient for him or absolutely essential and in a manner that flatters him.

What do you want from Sather? Do you want him to publically state that he's a buffoon, has no idea what he is doing, doesn't have the pulse of the team?

I'm not sure what you are after here because if it's anything close to the above then you are going to remain disappointed.

Regardless of the extension, regardless of whether he had a birdy in the Org. feeding him info about the inner workings of the team from Coach down, regardless if it was players that provided him the basis for the firing, it was a move that HAD to be made. His system was flawed in design and approach. The breakout was predictable and never adjusted much. The offensive "scheme" was non-existant, The PP was getting worse by the year. In addition to ALL of that, Torts is an abbrasive personality that is and has been difficult to approach when you have a differing of opinion on style and approach.

I presonally felt that Sather should not have been the guy to lead the franchise out of the 05 lockout.

I also feel that some of the guys that run our draft should NOT be considered as replacements for Sather based on the passive players that have drafted amd acquired over the last few years.

If you are looking for Sather to commit career suicide, you are barking up the wrong tree.

no need to read between the lines here. slats cannot tell the truth as to what lead to the torts dismissal- you dont do that to coaches out of respect. but he doesnt need to say anything. it obvious to the ones who have been part of the anti crowd.

once a coach loses key players within the locker room, its game over. we know who those players are. they are the leaders. the voices who speak for the team and the players who the other players consider leaders. first and foremost, its your best players.

henrik. thats the exit interview that resonates the most. trying to resign him and keeping torts around.... sketchy at best.

the players talk. torts' act had worn thin- it was no longer effective nor was it winning games. a guy like torts tends to go bad quickly like old milk.

it all began with avery. he said what many of us had suspected. say what you want about sean and his schtick, but hes still plugged right into that team. the players may change, but torts never did. in the end, avery spoke the truth.

the fact that slats extended torts mid season is disturbing enough. the fact that slats was content with the teams exit in round 2 should concern all of us as well. the fact that torts was fired out of no where tells me that the decision was based upon something other than the on ice results. that points to exit interviews and players voicing real concern with torts.

Hell yes, this guy gets it. I don't come around much anymore because of the way this board must fight about every single thing and act like the smallest incident or issue is the worst thing ever, blah blah blah. This board pretty much sucks these days but it's a good place to get the most recent news

I agree that the Redden signing was awful and the Richards signing actually wasn't that bad but there's no chance in hell that this was the second best team in hockey. Team lacked serious depth. He didn't replace the depth they lost in the trade. It's also not Torts fault that Gaborik was slow and his shot was weak.

The goalie and defense (minus Bickel) were ahead of anybody at the start of the season. Mind you, the personnel looked great on paper (Staal, Girardi, McD, Stralman, DZ) AND they are young and projected to only improve. The amount of defensive lapses you saw, combined with the complete lack of any offensive contribution from this talented bunch, tells me there is a serious problem with how the coach is employing them. NONE of them improved, Staal only got back to being himself, and you can argue 3 (DZ, McD, Girardi) regressed.

This is only part of it, because the offense was entirely ineffective. I don't care if Gaborik is at 50%. You don't take that lineup and spend half the season dead last in goals for.